Tuesday, 8 December 2009

Annie and James, what can I say?! Great couple to work with. Crazy Friends. Pudding shots. Dancing on Bar tops. Well, I guess that's what I can say - LOL! I had a blast.

First, thank you guys for being such a fun group to work with, and insisting that i try at least a couple differnt kinds of pudding shots. Butterscotch was delightful. Christy - Thanks for making me "one of the girls" ha!

Who says you can't have fun when you're working? Just look at these shots. They are beautiful and we had fun.

James, don't ever stop smiling. you're brother hit the nail on the head when he said you have the same smile you had when you were 8 (at least I would guess he's right)! I really enjoyed my day with you both.

And, here's a great shot of me and the girls, and one taken in the photobooth. This is becoming a theme as you will see in my next post (whenever I actually get around to it!) Sorry, this was Oct, but Nov and Dec were VERY VERY VERY (very, very very) busy

Going down the only road I've every known. For those of you who caught the whitesnake sake reference. for those who didn't look up Whitesnake, here I go again. Great song from the 80's. Or at least that's how I remembered it.

ANYWHOOOO......

October 24th, 2009 Wedding - Melissa and Darin

So Darin and Melissa had a really fun day. She had some freakin hilarious wedding day sneakers custom made for her by an aunt I believe. I'm guessing she loves the peanuts cartoons.

We got some really great shots, and the reception was at the really cool and interesting, 3rd degree glass factory. I've never been there, but it was really impressive. They had artists blowing glass during the reception and Melissa and Darin, and their bridal party got to make their own glass art! How cool is that.

I bought my wife (Heather for those of you who don't know her name) a really cool vase for her birthday there. That's the first time I've shot a wedding and got some birthday shopping done.

Anyway guys, thanks for the wonderful day! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post about it.

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

AHHHHHHHHHH! It has been busy. And I chose now to rip open my computers and build new machines and update, etc and so on! I'm not too smart sometimes. Why didn't I wait till January??

Anyway, I ever did get a chance to put up a post about Gretchyn and Sam's day. It was the first time I photographed at Assumption Greek Orthadox. I've been there for the Greek food before though! I love me some Baklava, Gyros, and just about everything at those feasts.

The Church is BEAUTIFUL. It is so intricate, I thought it would be busy, but it rendered so well in images, I was impressed.

The shot of the dress, I really worked for. It's not just a simple find a spot in the room and shoot. The Hilton Frontenac is a beautiful hotel, so I went out of my way to create a still life incorporating details of the location.

Sam, I KNOW you're probably upset that I didn't post one of you actually WEARING the crown, durning the ceremony. Sorry about that :) I loved sharing the day with them. They seemed to really balance each other. Sam was a constant joker, and Gretchyn was always trying to keep him in line, ha! We had a beautiful day, and got some beautiful images.

As always here's a few favs. Wish I could post more, but it would just get to be too much.

Friday, 6 November 2009

Well, it has finally stopped raining. But not before causing a small leak in our house, coming down the chimney, keeping most of us in a depressed mood for a solid week, and knocking down all the colorful leaves, or keeping me from easily shooting outside while most of them were still on the trees.

I had to cancel or postpone so many sessions, this had to be the worst October I remember, in 8 years of shooting. Well, one of my families was not so easily discouraged, and nor was I. Casey, Greg and Jacob came out for a session last week, even though the rain was really coming down pretty good at times.

I ran to a couple stores, and ended up finding some cute little rain boots, that fit Jacob pretty well, and a red umbrella that matched them.

I grabbed a few from the session to show, but it just goes to show, where there's a will, there's a way. We got some really cute shots, and there was still some color on the trees too!

I have had a quite a few people asking to see photos of our new girl Jennavieve. Yes, we spell our Daughter's names weird. Madalynn, and Jennavieve. there's a reason for the J though... my dad's initial Rebecca is her middle name, my sister's name, and the JR are my grandpas first initials and Heather's grandpa's first initials etc etc.

So anyway, there it is. Plus we liked the flexibility of Jenna.

She is a crazy little thing! Gets excited and just starts talking/screaming. letting out these grunts that sound a little like a baby lion's first attempts are roars. Jumps like mad in her little jumper thing, and is just a fun little thing to watch. Already 4 months. She was born June 20th this year.

Here's the most recent photos, taken around 4 months old. Notice I'm not in them! :) Someone's gotta take them. Actually, my colleage and friend Steve Seebeck took a few of us all when she was newborn. I guess he owed me a little though, after I did fly down to mexico to photograph his wedding in 07!! Just kidding Steve, if you're reading this, but seriously thank you

Friday, 30 October 2009

October is always a busy month and this one is not exception. I want to be sure to post about my weddings, but I find myself not having time. Well, I go through A LOT of effort to create really cool slideshows for my couples. I spend a lot more time color correcting and artworking, syncing music etc, than almost any other photographer in the STL, so I might as well show them off a bit.

Here is Jana and Brian's show. They were such a sweet couple, so obviously in love, from the moment you met them. But it's only reiterated over and over again when you meeet their familes and hear them sharing stories about how they met and the romantic gestures Brian showed. Truly a gentleman!

Thursday, 22 October 2009

Heather, Madalynn, Jennavieve and I had a great time on Hilton Head. I already told you how cool Mindy and Dustin were, and about their day a bit (see below). Now for a little about our trip

I was blown away by the nature down there. you had Savannah oaks, with Spanish moss hanging down. Alligators at every other pond. All kinds of birds. We saw dolphins jumping nearly every day. And 2 worthwhile experiences to relay.

One - while Heather and I were eating dinner, at an ocean view cafe one night, just before dusk the dolphins started jumping. Probably a dozen, here and there. I had a feeling they were going to get more energetic and get their last hurrahs in, before the sun retired for the night. Just as we were watching them, one (with 2 others close by) jumped clear out the water, and then ended up doing a back flip! Very cool to see. I've never really seen them in their natural environment acting so playful.

The second really memory etching experience, was when Madalynn and I were at the beach. The life guard had run down and whistled us all out of the water. Said he had seen sharks. I ask the early 20's blond hair, tanned bod, tough guy life guard, if he saw sharks. "Yep", was his nonchalant reply. "....Sand Sharks."

"Are they aggressive?" I ask."Yes.".

Ok, I could see I wasn't going to get much out of him. So, he leaves. I guess the life guards clock out at 5. He didn't post a sign, nor tell people to stay out, or stick around. So either it wasn't that big of a deal, or he just didn't care.

About a 1/2 hour later, Madalynn and I are playing at the waters edge, as I and some other beach goers, begin to witness, hundreds of fish (literally), popping out of the water like corn kernels popping, all in a confined spot. Then, you begin to see dorsal fins. Not the concave-curved friendly appearing fins of dolphins, but angular, seemingly razor sharp fins you think of sharks. 3, 4, eventually 6-10 of them. Then some thrashing at the water. It becomes clear the fish were being rounded up and now are being munched for dinner. then one jumps CLEAR out of the water. Probably 3-4' out, with a size of about 5-6ft.

The dolphins join in the fun, and for 15-20 minutes you see sharks and dolphins alike gorging themselves on this feast.

This all occurred about 300ft from the beach, and knowing that I was swimming at least 100 ft out, if not a bit further, it makes you second guess what you were swimming with.

Sorry, no pics of that, as I only had my point and shoot. That wasn't going to do much at 300 ft away, and needing the timing of a professional athlete to capture it (and the camera lag time of a pre school soccer game).

Here are some other photos around the island to enjoy. Hope you enjoyed my story :) I enjoyed witnessing it!

Oh yeah, I went parasailing with Madalynn. Had a BLAST! never done that before, but it was very cool. I'd love to try that over a clear blue ocaen sometime. The atlantic is a little murky, and nutrient rich, hence, all the wildlife.

So Minday and Dustin loved my work enough to fly me down to Hilton Head, S.C. to photography their beautiful wedding. Thank you Liz and Alan for spreading the good word of my photography to them.

It was a great time. Heather, Madalynn, Jennavieve (our new 4 month old baby) and I all went down. Along with my mother in law! Not as bad as it sounds :) she's actually really cool, and helped out with Jennavieve so Heather and I could have some time together too.

The day was beautiful! Can't say enough about them, how hospitable and cute they are! We got some stunning shots. the day got cloudy, and then RIGHT at their ceremony, the sun busted through for these spectaculor colors you see. It does take a good photographer to know how to react right as the light is changing and be able to capture it with the mood that was there. And a litlte photoshop to help me show it the way I saw it.

The golf shot... Sorry Dustin! :) Had to through that in there. As you see, his 2 groomsmen swinging, as their balls are taking off, meanwhile, poor Dustins' trickled off. I quick hit the ground to get the shot you see, and his best man, tauntingly, gets down low to "check out" his shot. In all fairness I think I made him nervous sitting there with a camera.

Here's some shots from their day. I'll save part 2 for our adventures while we were down there!

Timothy

A Few Words

Artisan Photography is a photography company started by Timothy Pastor. He is known as one of the most self demanding photographers in the midwest. Constantly striving to create eye catching imagery, he stops at nothing to do so for your portraits or wedding!